2002 Foundation Award Recipients

Dorothea M. Lang Pioneer Award

This new award has been established by the friends and family of Dorothea M. Lang to recognize pioneers in midwifery who ?stirred the pot? and moved the profession forward. The Dorothea M. Lang Pioneer Award honors pioneering midwives who, after 1958, demonstrate what midwifery care could and should be on the health care team. The award will honor unsung heroes who initiated/rescued/enhanced/saved midwifery services or educational programs or are working to accomplish these goals. The award will honor energetic anticipants who have furthered or are furthering the legislative agenda for CNMs/CMs. The award consists of a check and a piece of jewelry. The necklace symbolizes the pioneering circles one midwife initiates that enable larger circles of care and accomplishment by the families and midwives she touches.

Johanna E. Borsellega, CNM, MA, FACNM, has practiced as a midwife since graduation in 1964. She and her classmates opened the first midwifery service in a community hospital in the United States?at Brooklyn Hospital. In this practice, they cared for patients and taught medical students?both unheard of at that time. She helped to open the Grady Nurse-Midwifery Service and was the first clinical nurse-midwife at Grady. She developed clinical guidelines that set standards for practice across the country.

A much bigger challenge came in the early 1970?s when the Air Force recruited her to be one of the first nurse-midwives in the Air Force. Along with her clinical duties came the task of assisting with the development of the educational program for the Air Force with Georgetown University. Her skills in analytical thinking, problem solving and negotiation were essential in a collaborative educational program governed on one hand by the Department of Defense and on the other hand the Jesuits of Georgetown University. All of this in the first 10 years of her midwifery career.

This pioneer never let anything prevent the provision of the best possible care to women and their families. A favorite story recounts a time that this pioneer, a Colonel , was taking time from her administrative duties and working a shift as a nurse-midwife in the military hospital. The nurse-midwife, a captain, working with her, kept asking this pioneer to do unnecessary tasks that interfered with care of the laboring women. In her quiet, but clear way, the colonel informed the captain that patient care came first and ?in the military we do not delegate up?. Patient care continued; focused on the laboring woman.

Myriam Castro de Castaneda, CNM, MPH, FACNM, has dedicated her career to the development of midwifery service and education in underserved areas. She has overcome incredible obstacles?and never accepted setbacks as permanent defeat.

Graduating as a nurse-midwife in 1957, this pioneer returned home to join the nurse-midwifery education program begun in 1954. The program was developed to care for underserved women in both rural and urban areas. In 1960, this recipient became Director of the Educational Program when it moved into the medical school. The demand for the program was high; 325 nurse-midwives were graduated between 1960 and 1976. Many of the graduates were from countries with no options for nurse-midwifery education. In 1976, the program closed at the medical center.

This pioneer kept working. The midwifery education program was moved to a regional hospital where the need was great. Leaders were persuaded, with data and the strong commitment of this pioneer, to continue the program if only on a limited scale. Midwives were educated until 1980 when legislative and financial changes forced closure of the midwifery education program. A short two years later, midwives in the community approached Myriam and asked her to take the leadership in re-establishing the educational program and strengthening the legal basis for practice.

While maintaining a full-time faculty position in the school of public health, this pioneer re-energized the effort to provide midwives to the women of her area. She mobilized the community to support midwives and thereby improve the perinatal outcomes of the community. The program was approved?but another set-back?approved but not funded. Lesser women would have retired to less stressful careers. Not this pioneer and her colleagues. Next funding cycle she and the midwives were back and the program was funded.

Throughout the struggle over the span over 30 years, this pioneer did not waiver from her belief in the value of midwifery. Her vision did not change?although the circumstances never failed to provide a new challenge. She led midwives and their supporters through many difficult times. She never lost her vision and did not allow anyone else to lose sight of the goal. Her leadership and persistence is an example to us all.

W. Newton Long Award

The W. Newton Long Award Fund was established in 1990 to honor Dr. W. Newton Long upon his retirement. Dr. Long had spent the majority of his career in support of midwifery practice and education. While in practice at Johns Hopkins University Hospital he was the first physician in the United States to employ a nurse-midwife in private practice. Dr Long moved to Atlanta to practice at Emory University and Grady Memorial Hospital and became a strong advocate for the development of a midwifery practice at Grady Memorial Hospital. In the early 1970's the nurse-Midwifery Service at Grady Memorial hospital was started.

For nearly twenty years, Dr. Long served as the medical director for the Service. In that capacity, Dr. Long helped the nurse-midwives develop a large hospital based practice that served a predominantly indigent clientele. He was also supportive of the initiation of a nurse-midwifery education program at Emory University. For a number of years Grady has served as a clinical site for the education of midwifery students and as a training ground for newly graduated midwives. Due to Dr. Long's unfaltering support of midwifery principals, hundreds of midwives have been prepared to practice midwifery.

Today it is my privilege to name the most recent awardees from the Newton Long Fund. William McCool and Heather Branford have received the 2002 Newton Long Fund Award. They used their award to fund their presentation at the International Confederation of Midwives in Vienna in April. The topic of their paper was "Accoucheurs in America: Is there any difference between midwives, obstetricians and family practice physicians?"

Ortho-McNeil Pharmaceutical/A.C.N.M. Foundation Fellowship for Graduate Education

Karen Baldwin, CNM, Columbia University

Karen has worked for more than 20 years in clinical nurse-midwifery and administration. She is currently completing her doctorate in Health Education at Teachers College at Columbia University. The title of her doctoral dissertation is "The Effect of the Centering Prenatal Care Model on the Knowledge, Self-Esteem, Health Locus of Control, and Perception of Participation and Satisfaction of Pregnant Women."

TUMS Endowed Scholarship presented by GlaxoSmithKline

Lauren Schmit, SNM, Vanderbilt University

Lauren Schmidt has been selected to receive the 2002 TUMS Endowed Scholarship. Once she completes here midwifery program, Lauren wants to provide quality care to under served populations. She hopes to work in a public or non-profit clinic where community-based nursing is highly valued.

A.C.N.M. Foundation Memorial Scholarship

Bridget P. Bahnerman, SNM, University of Minnesota

The 2002 recipient of this scholarship is Bridget P. Bahnerman of the University of Minnesota. Bridget is interested in working in a full-scope practice immediately upon graduations. Eventually she hopes to work in a free-standing birth center that incorporates a diverse patient population.

Edith B. Wonnell CNM Scholarship

*awarded specifically to a student who intents to practice in an out of hospital setting

Catherine A. Gordon, SNM, Kansas University Midwifery Education Program

This year's recipient of is Catherine A. Gordon of the Kansas University Midwifery Education Program. Catherine will be attending a 10-day training session in China after integration. She plans to establish and develop a birth center in Kansas City owned and operated by midwives for the enhancement of health care to the under served women of the metropolitan area. She also has a strong interest in improving health care to women in developing countries.

Varney Participant Award

Catherine A. Gordon, of the Kansas University Midwifery Education Program is currently involved in her local ACNM chapter. She is an advocate for CNMs on legislative issues and has lobbied at the state and national levels.

Anna Maria Speciale is a student at Yale University. She has a specific interest in ACNM's role in Puerto Rico as it established independent midwifery practices. Additionally, she hopes to be active in the international committee, as much of her past experience has taken place abroad.

Excellence in Teaching Awards

The A.C.N.M. Foundation is pleased to recognize the following individuals for their outstanding service to student midwives. Each midwifery educational program may select an individual to receive this award. The list below recognizes all individuals who received the award in 2002.

Susan Blackburn
University of Washington

Angelina Chambers
UTMB-School of Nursing

Vivian Cunningham
Stony Brook University

Janet Engstrom
University of Illinois at Chicago College of Nursing

Deb Erickson-Owens
University of Rhode Island College of Nursing

Jane M. Gannon
University of Florida College of Nursing

Jeannie Gottlieb
University of Miami

Barbara Hackley
Yale University School of Nursing

Lisa Hanson
Marquette University

Carol Howe
Oregon Health & Science University

Joyce King
Emory University

Bosede D. Lasekan
Georgetown University School of Nursing & Health Studies

Jody Lori
University of Michigan

Teresa Marsico
University Medical and Dental School of NJ

Jacqueline McMillian-Bohler
Vanderbilt University School of Nursing

Nancy Moss
East Carolina University School of Nursing

Barbara Overman
University of New Mexico College of Nursing

Ginger Panter
UCSD School of Medicine

Elizabeth Parr
Institute of Midwifery, Women and Health

Annemarie H. Sanchez
University of Puerto Rico

Sally Tom
University of Maryland

Jan Weingrad Smith
Boston University School of Public Health

Judie Wika
Kansas Collaborative Bistate Nurse-Midwifery Program

Karen Zelman
Parkland School of Midwifery

Wyeth Pharmaceuticals Student Reporters

The A.C.N.M. Foundation Board of Trustees thanks Wyeth for its continued support of the Student Reporter program. For 2002, student nurse-midwives were selected from 30 educational programs to attend the annual meeting and write a paper about their experiences. The students are awarded a stipend for attending the meeting and are recognized at a luncheon during the meeting.

Katherine Batton
University of Missouri-Columbia

Bonnie Bishop Stark
Case Western Reserve University

Leslie Brown
Parkland School of Nurse-Midwifery

Shannon Calhoon
University of Miami School of Nursing

Carmen Castro, SNM
University of Puerto Rico

Marcee Everly, SNM
University of Colorado Health Sciences

Brooke Farrell
SUNY Downstate

Susan Goodall, SNM
University of Washington

Lisa Kelley
University of Rhode Island

Abigail Lanin
University of New Mexico

Kathy McCune
University of Maryland

Jasmine Ortega
SDSU/UCSD Nurse Midwife Program

Stephani Pascale
University of Utah

Heather Razmus
University of Minnesota, School of Nursing

Anita Sherman
University of Michigan

Takiya McClain
New York University

Lisa Taylor
Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center-El Paso/University of Texas

Monica Todd Horne
East Carolina University

Venay Uecke
Marquette University

Louise Walker
SUNY Stony Brook, NY

Lisa Weston
Institute of Midwifery, Women and Health

Ann Wright
University of Kansas